Sorry, I have come to this thread late and am unable at the moment to read all the earlier posts. My only experience of hand-welted footwear is a pair of riding boots that were made for me 15 years ago. All my other shoes are machine welted from various Northampton makers.
The only trouble I have ever had with welting concerned the riding boots - both welts started to fail at the fore end when the boots were about 10 years old. I should point pout that they are worn...

It appears that Bookster have quietly re-entered the on-line market, now trading from Leeds:
www.bookster.co.uk
I'm not sure how they have managed to side-step their apparent bankruptcy at the end of last year, or whether their unsatisfied customers ever received any form of recompense, but have read elsewhere that the company is under new ownership, yet with the continued 'assistance' of Peter and Michelle King.

My recent visit to Tricker's factory shop has raised some rather niggling questions for me. Six months ago there was a small article in the business section of local (Northampton) press, concerning a company restructuring or refinancing, that I noticed but had discounted.
From St Michael's Street, the factory presents an impressive facade of glazed brown brickwork, extending several stories upwards and quite a distance from side to side, but visitors to the factory...

I have AS veldtschoen in both boot and shoe form. The method of construction is absolutely watertight - I was in the Peak District last weekend and after a whole day trekking through mud, my boots were entirely dry inside.
Wading through ankle-deep water might only prove a problem in that water might be able to get past the tongue, which is only a half-bellow. I believe the old Lotus boots had fully bellowed tongues.
The leather itself is just ordinary zug grain,...

Actually it's nothing to do with avoiding waste. The tongue and the rest of the uppers are identical leather and all start off the same colour; the tongue, however, has to be stained before closing as otherwise the stain would mark the lining.